Washington’s last coal power plant will transition to natural gas

TransAlta Corporation has signed an agreement with Puget Sound Energy to switch the last coal-fired power station in Washington state to natural gas.

The deal, which TransAlta announced Tuesday, comes as the Centralia plant is set to fall silent at the end of the month.

Its closure is part of a deal the Washington Legislature approved in 2011. The winding down of the last coal-fired unit represents a long-sought goal for Democratic state politicians: the move toward cleaner energy to reduce fossil-fuel emissions and combat climate change.

But it also comes amid rising concerns that the state could face a power crunch as it makes that transition.

In a statement, John Kousinioris, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian-owned company, said the switch to natural gas “will lo